Jacob's Ladder

[nona suomy]

What is it (apart from a ladder) and what is the story behind it?

[FredPuli]

Genesis; chapter 28 verse 12 It's the story of how Jacob had a dream in which he saw angels going up and down a ladder (or staircase; take your pick of the translations; personally I see it as a pair of escalators like in a big store ). God was at the top of it. The dream was interpreted by Jacob as meaning that he would be forgiven by his own father for deceiving him. He'd pretended to be his own twin brother; his father was blind and was conned into giving his blessing to the wrong lad. Now read on...... ( It's also the name of a plant with leaflets in a ladder shape; polemonium caeruleum, apparently )

[sft42]

Track number 11 on "The Heart of Rock and Roll" the greatest hits of Huey Lewis and The News.

[FredPuli]

Ah, so that's The Way It Is.

[katiesara]

It's also a strange toy!! http://www.toypost.co.uk/pages/sub/jacob.html I bought one for my son - Jacob, and one for his cousin Sam, said "Look Sam's got a Jacob's ladder too", Jacob replied "No mum that's a Sam's ladder" - bless!!

[lsoffer]

In Victorian times and later "Jacobs Ladder" also referred to runners or ladders in a pair of tights since they were said to run "all the way to Heaven." It also referrs to a small garden plant.

[bluedolphin]

Was also the name of a film back in the late 70s? about a soldier in vietnam ..starred that guy Tim Robbins. A bit like the sixth sense really.

[drochit]

In nautical terms a jacobs ladder is a marine ladder made of rope or chain with wooden or metal rungs. When conditions are such that neither a walkway nor a straight ladder can be used to board a vessel a jacobs ladder is suspended over the side instead.